In Another Dimension
by Aldershades
Summary: Things have gone wrong, terribly wrong. The very fabric of history as it should pass has been ruined. The wrong person walked the Labyrinth and the consequences are... interesting... Altered Universe fic JS rated for swearing and later situations
1. Defeated

Disclaimer: A renunciation of one's right or claim, denial. _(Sourced from The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, fourth edition)_

No I don't own the Labyrinth so don't ask damn it.

**Defeated**

She had fought her way to his castle, beyond the goblin city, to take back the child that he had stolen. Her will was as strong as his and her kingdom was as great…

He never knew where those words came from. There had been no real battle, goblins couldn't fight to save their lives, or his for that matter. It had always been more of a race, and it always would be. Running the Labyrinth was a race against time, and time had always run out. As long as there was someone to run the Labyrinth she would exist and they would never ever make it in time (the current exception excluded) to save said stolen child.

He refused to even think about the fact that the child had always been wished away, never stolen. That gave him a headache every single time he thought about it. The only ones who stole children were fae and saying that he would steal brought him down to their level. He was above those conceited, base creatures that had as much heart as they had soul. He just took what was offered to him, and he didn't even keep it, he had to give it to the goblins and let them change it.

Goddess, he was thinking about _it_ again.

Though he still wondered where the whole kingdom idea had come from. There was no way that any of the mortals who had ever walked his Labyrinth had rule of a kingdom. Though one had to admit, it took a pretty strong will to walk the Labyrinth and win. Only one human had ever succeeded, and she now stood before him.

Linda. Beautiful Linda, with her proud stance and triumphant smile pressed onto her ruby lips, stepped forward, she showed no outward sign of fear; foolish of her really. Perchance she underestimated him? He doubted it, she had seen his power and not once had she cowered before it, yet she could not know that while she walked within these walls as a challenger he could do little to her. Her long hair that shone in sable waves was brushed away from her porcelain-pale face. She was the perfect picture of fae beauty: she seemed so sensual, but like them she was as dull and boring as they were. A pretty shell.

Jareth looked on her beauty in undisguised disgust as she moved into the light. This cold, guileful, and cruel creature that stood before him, a creature that thought itself in every way his equal, but was absolutely not, dared to stand before him without fear. She was too much like _them_ for his tastes, even if she seemed to think that she was indeed good enough. She needed to be put in her place, but that was a husband's job, one that her husband had failed.

He watched the arrogant creature and waited for her to make the first move. Initiate the dialogue that would end it. That was how things were done here. The words were simply a formality in the final confrontation. How he knew this he could not say, call it instinct.

She was only a few feet from him when she stopped walking. It was then that she parted her soft full lips and said, "Okay, I beat the Labyrinth, you're not turning Sarah into a goblin, I can leave now. Right?"

Jareth raised his eyebrow coolly, what had happened to 'give me the child'? He began his part as he was meant to despite the fact that it did not seem that she would be following her part. He told her how generous he had been, how he had done everything for her. His speech received careless replies of 'Like I care.' and 'Great for you.'

When she told him that she 'would like to turn his world upside down and see how he liked it.' He began to become severely annoyed with the worthless mortal before him. He paused in the middle of his speech and eyed her quietly. Mrs. Williams returned his stare in a rather base imitation that openly mocked him. She was so cruel and narcissistic she probably did things only for her own benefit, she'd most likely never thought about anyone else once.

Then again there was that little something that made her seem not quiet mortal. What was this vile creature that stood before him? It looked like a beautiful woman until it opened its mouth. Jareth sneered. That was when it's hideous nature showed and tarnished the beautiful mask it wore.

Jareth cleared his throat and asked Linda as calmly and politely as possible, "Is there anything you could possibly want, Linda?" through clenched teeth. Why he should offer this conceited creature anything was beyond him. He was infuriated by her assumption that she was above him, not to mention the headache that was coming on due to the harsh resonance of her voice. For the sensitive hearing of the Erlking it was most discordant and grating.

"Yes, for you to send me home now." She replied curtly. Her demand sparked another flare of anger. Did she presume that he was so below her that he was subservient to her will? He most certainly was not.

"Fine, I shall send you and your girl-child home." Jareth spat back as he conjured the crystal to send them home.

"I believe that we have a misunderstanding." She said quickly. A little too quickly he realized. There was something she wanted, she was going home, but not without it. Maybe he could use this morsel to shake her unwavering pride.

"What?" asked Jareth. He added a seductive tone that was laced with mockery to his next words. "Do you want to stay with me? In this… what were your words, Goblin infested heap of rubble?" His tone turned biting as he finished, recalling her arrogance at the beginning of her trial. He had little doubt that she, in her arrogance, would turn him down. Which was a decent relief; at this point he couldn't wait to see the back of her.

"In this Pigsty? No." Amazing how she could look like one thing and, in reality, be something completely heinous. In fact she seemed colder than any fae he'd had the misfortune of meeting.

Finally, his headache and badly damaged pride got the better of him. "What do you want you blasted woman?" She dared to be so demanding, vain, and selfish he loathed her. He prayed that she would make her demand, and he would grant it thus shutting her up. He knew that if he gave her something he had the right to keep her, but he was hoping that if he did this for her he would be more likely to never see her again. He did not believe that she could prove herself to be colder than she had already proved herself to be. She did though, her next words were so brutal, distant, and so completely heartless that they put him in a stupor.

"I don't want it."

Her words rang out echoing on nonexistent walls, in the room where unreality was reality. Where there was no ceiling and yet, there was. Where there were no tangible walls and in the distance the approaching dusk painted the distant sky. It seemed as though the cold hateful hunger in her words would destroy this piece of the Erlking's kingdom and take the rest of his world with it. It did not though, for the Labyrinth had plans. Ones that involved tricks and traps; she knew that this first act of betrayal would lead her into her golden age of power.


	2. I Don't Want It

Disclaimer: If You want to see it it's at the Top of Chapter One. You can't miss it.

**I Don't Want It**

Jareth stared at her; he was at a loss for words. What in the nine realms of the death was that supposed to mean. She didn't want what? It could not be his castle she'd already called it a pigsty –he made a mental note to get her for that later…

Linda must have perceived his confusion because she repeated herself. "I don't want it." Jareth watched her expression… could it be? No, there was no way that she could mean that. He eyed her over once more; then again, someone as selfish as she just might do such a thing… a surge of anger rose at the thought, but he did not know for sure if she would indeed do such a thing. There was an easy way to find out what she meant though.

"You don't want… what?" He asked casually lifting the crystal that contained her shallow, fickle dreams within it. The expression she wore seemed to ask exactly how stupid he was. But there was no way she could be talking about her own-

"I don't want the brat, Jareth. You know? Sarah? My daughter? That kid that I wished away to you? I did wish her away for a reason you dolt." Her words sent Jareth ridged in shock, but beneath the shock was a steadily rising fury. How could she be so inconsiderate of his time and energy which he had been forced to spend putting her through the trial? How could she disregard her family, her daughter, her husband so easily? How could she have done this? Why had she run if she didn't want –How dare she defeat him only to say that after everything she did not desire the prize? That was an insult!

"She is your child. She is your own flesh and blood! You battled your way here to retrieve her! You have done things that no ordinary mortal could possibly accomplish and now you say that you do not want the very child you went through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered to retrieve? Now you don't want her? Are you mad?" Jareth raged. He looked her over once more. "Or perhaps you are too selfish to care for anyone else!" He circled her once to unsettle her; to force her to cower, yet all she did was laugh lightly. Goddess Dannan, Queen of all Heavenly and Earthly Plains give him strength! This wretched creature made him sick in all senses! Just being near her made him want to wretch!

"Now Kingy, don't get your tights in a twist. All you have to do is send me home." She put her hands on her hips making herself appear as casual and nonchalant as though they were just talking about the weather. The comfortable smile on her lips only further angered him. Oh, he would find a loophole somewhere and have his vengeance on this one.

"Why?" It was all he could do at this point. He wanted this question answered. What kind of beast did this to her own child? By Hel, how could her compare her to a beast? Even they cared for their young. She was beneath even the foulest thing.

"Well, I'm not a monster, I have a heart. I didn't want to contribute to your suffering." She laughed. "I think if you had to put up with one more goblin you might just kill yourself. Hell, I couldn't live with myself if I found that I'd brought another one of those _things_ into the world."

Jareth was seething. How dare she. She insulted his castle, his subjects, even himself. She had wasted his time and her own, just so that he would suffer absolute humiliation. This wretched vile woman who stood before him, laughing was unfit to live, and Jareth could do nothing to amend the fact that she did breathe the same air as he did, he couldn't even touch her with out her permission. Jareth did the only thing he could do. He raised his hand conjured a crystal and sent her home.

He stared at the spot on which she had stood. How had that beast become a mother? What kind of horrible goblin would her child have been? He had to admit, he was relieved that he would never find out.

Linda stood alone in the room she had shared with her latest husband for little over a year. She wandered over to the dresser a confident smile on her face. She now had her life back, no more waiting; she was going to act now. She'd come too far, traded too much to allow herself to stop. It didn't matter who she crushed now, just so long as she got what she wanted and now, finally, she was going to get it.

No, no one mattered now, no one except her and she was getting out of this death trap of a house. Magic and the blackest arts could only do so much against reason and the mundane life. She needed to get somewhere glamorous fast; stardom was the best veil for her kind this era had to offer.

She checked the watch that she'd left on the dresser before making the wish. Robert would be home soon and she didn't want any trouble. She ran her fingers through her glossy dark hair and grimaced, Robert. What to do about him... He would be infuriated to know that his child was gone thanks to her, not to mention heartbroken. She smiled to herself, Robert, what an emotional idiot he was. If Robert was mad about it then he could drink his sorrows away. Yes, she thought to herself, a drink would do nicely. She dug into her underwear drawer for a moment before she pulled out a small violet colored bottle. She uncorked it and as the fumes were exposed to the air she uttered one name, a name that she would have him forget.

"Sarah." Then, after she packed up all her clothes and jewelry, she went down to the liquor cabinet. She opened it, up and took out a half full bottle of liquor and poured the contents of the violet bottle into the alcohol. Then she stirred it gently and, when it was mixed to her liking, she put the lid back on, and made a few calls.

When Robert Williams came home that night, all he found of his wife was a note. When he searched for his daughter he found neither hide nor hair. In his grief he poured himself a glass of the half full liquor bottle and upon taking one sip he forgot all about the precious child that had been stolen from him.


	3. How to Dispose of It

Disclaimer: See Chapter One

**How To Dispose of IT**

Jareth stared at the girl-child in his arms as he sat upon his throne. She was sound asleep and as he watched her, he wondered, 'now what?' He looked out about his throne room as he thought.

Linda had solved the Labyrinth, so he could not turn the child over to the Goblins, he simply wasn't allowed to. Furthermore, he had no real fondness for children, being a bachelor, nor a patient enough temper to deal with a child of this age. In all truth, he was at a bit of a loss.

He glanced down at his little problem who was still sleeping very soundly. She such a pretty child, little over a year old, a bit of black hair on her soft skull, she'd look like her mother when she was older. Jareth smiled before the more frightening thought hit him –she might turn out to be exactly like her mother, in which case he did not want to be anywhere near her. He should have her killed... No, he looked at the child again, he could not do that to her, he wasn't some faerie... he shuddered at the thought of what would happen to her if she were in their claws. No, he was definitely _not_ a Faerie.

The child's eyes opened and she watched him silently. She almost seemed to know that he was, at that very moment, deciding her fate. Her bright green-blue eyes stared up at him. Suddenly a strange chill shot up his spine, the room he was in vanished before his eyes. It took him a moment to realize where he was; the confrontational chamber, the very place he'd been with Linda only a few Moments ago.

"Give me the child!" A calm, soft voice spoke. Jareth glanced down to meet a pair of bright and determined green eyes. It took Jareth a moment to realize that the eyes were in a face, a pale face, with delicate features.

At first he thought the girl before him was a younger version of Linda. Then he realized that it could not be. Linda's eyes were a blue-ish grey-violet color, and her hair fell in soft waves, the girl before him had hair that was almost perfectly straight. Moreover, Linda had a hardness about her, a harshness that belied a horrible coldness within. The girl before him seemed to give off warmth, light, and innocence, so much so that she seemed intoxicating.

The vision faded. Jareth was once again sitting on his throne holding Linda's girl-child and wondering what had just happened. His mind had fallen into a state of anarchy as questions rose only to be swallowed by more questions. 'Who was she?', 'How was she able to infiltrate his mind?', 'Was there something wrong with the flow of time and space?', 'How old was she? She looked quite young and pretty.', 'Was he feeling lust for her… love?', 'How was he going to find her?', 'He needed to check the stacks for other similar instances, didn't he?', 'But there's no such thing as love, is there?'

Though the pieces had not all fallen into place it was clear to him that this was very important, possibly life threatening, and had something to do with his destiny. His fate as ruler of the Goblin Kingdom either was in danger or was about to be modified. Only one thing was painfully clear, he had to find her.

Sarah, meanwhile, had fully awoken from her mostly untroubled sleep. She did not have the slightest clue as to what was happening now; she had her own needs to worry about. Firstly, she was awake; therefore, she wanted attention and food. She looked up at the funny man and started trying to grab at his hair so that she could see if it was in any way edible. It proved not to be. She gurgled impatiently and whined a bit in a way that clearly threatened tears and tantrum.

After a short while, Sarah, under the very correct impression that it was being ignored, began to cry. She had no intention of stopping until she got food and lots of attention. She had become quite aware of the fact that the person who usually provided was not present. Naturally, she was a bit peeved about this, but supposed (If children of that age can suppose) that the Funny haired man would have to do.

Jareth was startled out of his trance by the sound of crying, on instinct, went into "Goblin King" mode. It wasn't long before his mind began to make a sort of to do list. The first thing that he had to do was get rid of the child. The second thing that he had to do was research. Something was going on that he wasn't in control of; he hated it when he wasn't in control of a situation. Then, once his resources had given him enough information, he had to find the girl.

He looked down at the girl child again. He could not keep her; there were far too many things that could go wrong with that scenario. The Goblins couldn't raise her; they could barely look after themselves. He felt the Labyrinth brush gently against his conscience. Jareth blinked in surprise, the Labyrinth rarely did anything to help him, he was its prisoner and its master and they were not fond of the other. What did it think it was doing?

It came to him very suddenly, the idea. He'd never been aware of the fact that the Labyrinth could enter his mind, but it looked like it wanted to be of help. There was a small village just outside the labyrinth; a couple who lived on the outskirts of the village who were childless; who, by pure coincidence had lost a child just last night. He could give her to them, and she would be their problem.

He sighed and looked down at the child and felt himself pause… why did he not want to do this? This was part of his plan, wasn't it? He didn't need to think on this any longer. In an instant he was standing before the cottage in his most imposing robes, child in one arm. He'd have to be tactful, after all the woman had just lost a child of her own flesh and blood. This one was only a replacement, and only until he found use for it. He approached the door and knocked. All the while the something within him was howling about what a stupid idiot he was being; desperately trying to tell Jareth to question how much power that the Labyrinth truly had over him. He, of course, wasn't listening.


	4. A Daughter Instead of a Son

**A Daughter Instead of a Son**

Disclaimer: I wish I owned the Labyrinth, but I don't, which is probably good for the world in general.

In a small cottage on an antiquated farm a young couple sat, mourning. Meaghan sat in the bed, weeping over the corpse of yet another miscarried child; Thomas sat beside her, comforting her. They'd lost so many and prayed so much, yet still Dannan denied them a healthy child. Maybe they did not pray enough, or they had somehow wronged her. It could not be coincidence that the midwife had been gone that night, if she had been here things would have gone better.

Thomas stumbled out of the bedroom and sat out by the hearth. Pity the alehouse wasn't open at this hour. Else-wise he'd be there dinking the place dry and drowning his sorrows in good old mead. Since the place was not open at this hour he simply put his head in his hands and wept for all that would not be.

A knock at the door interrupted Thomas's mourning. He carefully and solemnly stood, opened the door, and promptly froze. There, in the doorway stood the Erlking, looking rather uncomfortable. He glanced about the inside of the small cottage in a hesitant, yet clearly condescending fashion, while Thomas rocked in shock and horror. It wasn't time for the Black Elves' harvest, he had no children and Meaghan was a married woman, a sullied woman, they had no use for her…

Jareth watched the mortal man sway back and forth and waited for him to say something… anything… after all, it was the tradition that the Erlking never spoke first to a human. They had to initiate conversation. Jareth watched the man continue to sway and turn white and gasp like a fish out of water. Clearly, traditions and formalities would have to be put aside for now.

"Young… Thomas is it?" The imposing Goblin King began trying to make himself sound as casual as possible while trying to remember what to say in this particular situation.

"Yes…" The hapless and currently witless young man whimpered.

"We need to… discuss something… may I come in?" Under the imposing eyes of the king, Thomas could only nod and whimper a little more. He could hear Meaghan softly sobbing in the other room and he felt that he needed to explain somehow.

He opened his mouth to explain, but the king interrupted him. "I understand that just this night your wife miscarried a child." Thomas nodded stiffly he didn't like where this was going. Did this happen to everyone who had multiple miscarriages during their marriage? Was…

Then the king neatly pulled up a chair and took a seat. Thomas realized that he was still standing and therefore above the king, no one could be above the king, so he promptly sat on the ground, praying that he would not offend his royal guest.

Jareth leaned back in the chair and made himself comfortable before continuing. "Due to the fact that there has been… a… rather unfortunate incident within my Labyrinth I…" He trailed off as he stared at the mortal who was staring up at him from the ground in petrified fear. Jareth let out a sigh.

"Mr. Thomas… please tell me, is there a mortal custom that states that you must sit on the ground and not in chairs?" Jareth asked the man slowly and patiently.

Thomas stared up at Jareth with trepidation. "N-N-N-N…no?"

"Good, now please sit down. I refuse to look down on anyone who is at least my size." The Goblin King added testily.

"Y-yes sir!" Thomas moved cautiously over to the chairs, face pale and sweaty. He looked at the chair hesitantly, then looked back at Jareth, who was watching him with intense annoyance.

"Do chairs here eat people Mr. Thomas?" Thomas shook his head and quivered under the intense look that the Erlking was giving him. "Really? Then for Dannan's sake sit!" Thomas dropped into the quickly and stared at Jareth like he was looking into the eyes of death. "Foolish mortal." Jareth muttered, massaging his forehead gently with his gloved fingers. Death had a far more genial personality than the Goblin King did, just so long as you liked cats.

Thomas shifted in his seat uncomfortably he could not believe that the Erlking was sitting in his house talking to him. The man, the fae, the thing that was the Erlking was talking to him… well actually getting annoyed with him, but nonetheless, it was still amazing and horribly terrifying, It took him a few minuets to work up enough courage to speak to the imposing man before him.

"Um, sir?" Thomas asked timidly, after all, he was speaking with the Erlking, THE Erlking. This was only the most powerful and supposedly malicious creature in the entire Underground.

"Yes?" Jareth answered calmly.

Thomas hesitated; dare he speak? "You were saying?" He dared. What would become of him for this?

Jareth nodded, ah, finally, the mortal was initiating conversation. "Ah, yes. You have troubles with having children, do you not?"

"Yes your Majesty." Thomas replied softly.

Jareth glanced at the man and noticed the pained look on his face, he'd definitely come to the right place. "Did you know that there's a rather… difficult… awkward… situation that has arisen within the walls of the Labyrinth?"

"No, your Majesty. That's terrible, your Majesty." Jareth raised a concerned eyebrow at the pallid, terrified young farmer and sat up a little straighter in his seat. After all, Thomas was a peasant.

An awkward silence pervaded the room for a long moment before Thomas took it upon himself to remind the preening Goblin King of the fact that he needed to do something.

"This difficult problem your Majesty, it uh… doesn't have anything to do with me, does it?" Thomas choked out hesitantly as he stared up at the imposing man in outright fear.

Thomas's words quickly reminded Jareth of his little issue. "Ah, yes my problem… well… ahem." Jareth hesitated as if trying to figure out how to word this. Thomas suddenly had a sinking feeling in his stomach. He knew what was going to happen, the Goblin King, like all good horrible, terrorizing Goblin Kings, was going to dump his problem on him; typical immortal.

As if to confirm this Jareth looked straight at Thomas and said with a smirk. "Good news, it's your problem now." Thomas could tell that the evil king was laughing at him silently in that moment, a sort of mocking laugh that taunted him. Then the smile left the King's face, "Come here." It was a command and Thomas dared not disobey. He really hoped that it wasn't some sort of quest, or magic item. Those were for heroes not farmers.

As soon as he was within reach Jareth handed Thomas the bundle of cloth. Thomas looked down at said bundle and found himself looking into a darling, perfect baby face. "A-a child?" Thomas asked in shock.

"Yes, a child." Jareth replied curtly.

Thomas was overjoyed, finally a child. "You're giving it to me? But why, I thought that you turned children into Goblins or took their souls or something?" Thomas asked confusion and happiness written across his face.

"Yes, well, I can't touch this one." Jareth told him testily.

"Why not?" Thomas asked, curiosity overcoming him.

"Its mother defeated the Labyrinth and promptly left it here. Therefore, I can't do anything with it and since I have no patience for children and may be facing a usurper sometime soon I can't really look after it." Jareth told him while examining his gloves.

Thomas's eyes moved over the beautiful sleeping child with absolute joy. "It's a girl. What's her name, does she have one?"

Jareth glanced at the man silently, he was unused to such joy. "Sarah."

"Sarah… Would you like us to raise her for you sire?" Thomas asked happily.

Jareth was beginning to see how subservient humans had become towards the immortal races. It was nice… in a disturbing sort of way… "Yes. I would like you to raise her for me, possibly for yourselves." He told Thomas.

"What do you mean?" Thomas asked the great king.

Jareth shrugged. "I can't think of any use for a young girl in my Kingdom, I can't think of what the Labyrinth would need her for. Just make sure that if I do have to make use of her, she can be useful."

"Useful how?" Thomas asked hesitantly.

"Teach her to read or do things that would make her more useful than most mortal girls are." Jareth told him as if it were plain. Thomas bit his lip and wondered if the king knew what he asked.

"Yes sire." He said ponderously.

"Anyway, I leave her to you. And one more thing, keep her away from those blasted idiotic immortals who call themselves faeries." Jareth told him. Thomas watched Jareth stand there the king seemed to be waiting for something. "Well?" Jareth asked motioning towards the room that Meaghan, Thomas's wife was in.

Thomas realized that his wife had stopped crying. He walked in cautiously with the girl child in arms. He hoped that she'd accept Sarah. This had been the third loss in their little family, he wasn't sure how much she could take.

Thomas carefully sat down on the bed and touched his wife's shoulder. Meaghan stirred and woke. Jareth eyed the woman over. She was attractive; he'd give her that, maybe with a decent wash she'd actually prove to be beautiful. At the moment she was covered with sweat and blood. With her dark hair and pale skin she would pass as Sarah's mother.

Thomas gently handed the child to his wife and her eyes lit with joy. Jareth pulled back slightly, this was… new... he'd never seen humans behave or react in this manner before. He was an outsider here in this small, cramped room full of emotion. He needed to get out, leave. This was something beyond him.

Jareth cleared his throat to get the couple's attention. "As I said before, I leave her in your care. I'll come from time to time to make sure that everything is well. I bid you all fare well." With that he turned, his cape sweeping out behind him making him look every bit the king that he was.

"Wait!" Jareth glanced over his shoulder at the woman. Was there something that she wanted? The woman smiled at him, she was crying… why was she crying, wasn't she happy?

"Thank you."

Jareth stiffened at her words, no one had ever… no one dared… why had she…? He watched as she turned her attention back to the child that she held close to her breast, Mr. Thomas the farmer and husband cuddling her close. Jareth felt something strange rise up within him, something bitter for which he had no name. He turned away. He could sort out such things later; he had research to do.

The next morning Thomas sat down with his still bedridden wife and ate breakfast with her. They needed to discuss the Erlking's wishes for the child. They were, after all, only the foster parents.

"Thomas?" The young farmer jerked from his meditations.

"Yes, love?"

"Who was that man last night?" His wife was gently coddling the girl child who was gurgling happily.

Thomas swallowed. "Meaghan, that was the Erlking, the ruler of the Earthen Races."

Meaghan jerked her head up and looked her husband in the eye. "You jest!"

Thomas smiled weakly at his wife. "On my honor I do not." He hardly believed that the Erlking had visited them himself.

Meaghan was shocked. "He couldn't be! He looks nothing like they say!" She said in mild disbelief.

"Well, they were wrong…" Thomas told her, he paused as he thought about the Erlking's appearance and manner. "…about quite a lot of things." He said slowly.

"Why would he give us the child? Does he not eat them?" Meaghan asked quietly.

Thomas answered her rhetorical question. "No, he told me he doesn't… he turns them into goblins though."

"Then why would he…?" Meaghan trailed off and looked to the happy little girl in her arms.

Thomas furrowed his brow trying to make sense of everything that the Erlking had told him last night. "I think that it is because he has no claim on her."

"What do you mean?" Meaghan asked.

"I mean that her mother defeated the Labyrinth and then abandoned her." Thomas told his wife softly, finally understanding what the Erlking had said.

Meaghan stared at her husband in disbelief. "What a horrible woman. Why would she do such a thing to such a sweet and beautiful child."

"I don't know." Thomas shrugged. "I suppose that children are not valued as highly in the Above world." It was hard to imagine. In the Underground, though there was no sickness, there were plenty other ways to loose children, so it was good to have as many as possible.

Meaghan looked down on the small girl child again. "Did he say anything about her, did she have a name?"

Thomas turned his attention to the baby in his wife's arms. "Her name is Sarah."

Meaghan glanced up at her husband, a clever gleam in her eye. "Sarah? That's a very precocious name!" Everyone knew that faeries only had power over you if you gave them your true name. And nobody would name their child Sarah, so they'd change it, but Sarah would always be her true name.

Thomas caught onto her thoughts quickly. "Yes, I thought so too." They smiled down at Sarah, this was one girl that the fae would have to sling over their shoulders and carry off.

Thomas's smile faded quickly though, and Meaghan noticed. "We've been married for a long time Thomas, tell me what's bothering you."

"Nothing's bothering me." He lied. Meaghan gave him the look. She was his wife, she'd known him for years and he did not lie to her. Thomas gave in. "Alright, I suppose you must know. You see, His Majesty gave her to us because things aren't looking good in the Labyrinth, he said something about a usurper…"

Meaghan's surprise was apparent. "A usurper? Who would take the Labyrinth?"

"I haven't the slightest clue." Thomas told her.

Meaghan's expression became downcast. "So, he'll be wanting her back, then… when this rival is taken care of…"

Thomas thought on what the Goblin King had spoken the eve before. "No, I think that he doesn't really know what to do with her, so when she's old enough, fifteen or so I imagine, he'll take her back, if he's found something for her to do."

"If he's found something for her to do?" Meaghan asked slowly.

Thomas could tell she was getting her hopes up again. "Meaghan…"

She turned to him with hope shining in her eyes. "Dearest, there's the possibility that he won't! The king is a busy man, he might forget."

"I doubt he'd forget." Thomas said softy.

"Well, what use would he have for a farm girl?" Meaghan demanded.

Thomas sighed this is what they needed to talk about. "That's the thing, he wants her to be useful, able to read and such. Our job is to keep her safe, raise her well and make her extremely useful so that instead of marrying her off she'd go to the Labyrinth and spend her life within its walls."

"So we must teach her to be useful as what? What sort of usefulness did he specify?" Meaghan asked.

"He didn't specify, he just said, Make her useful." Thomas told her. He was worried though, what if they didn't make her useful enough, what if she was killed or carried off? What if she fell in love? She was a beautiful girl… then an idea came, a very strange, very improper idea… "You know, the old wise man says that the most useful person knows how to run a farm, a home and understands the basic things in life." Thomas told his wife.

"Yes, but love, only men run farms and homes in the way he talks." Meaghan wasn't sure that she liked where this was going.

"Well why not?" Thomas asked her.

"Why not what?" Meaghan returned apprehensively.

"Why not teach her all that?" Thomas asked Meghan.

"It isn't proper for girls to do that." Meaghan told her husband, she didn't approve of this.

"Funny thing, last I saw girls were being harvested for the elves, carried away by wild men and faeries and dowries are getting quite expensive. I think that maybe what's proper can be put aside in this case. After all, it isn't proper for the king to come down and speak man to man to a farmer." Thomas pointed out. Meaghan sighed she was going to loose this one.

"Yes, but I couldn't raise her in such confusion, could I?" Meaghan asked her husband softly.

Thomas looked down at the little one. "We'll take everything in stride; tell her what she needs to know when she needs to know it."

Meaghan looked down at the child and thought of the dangers of this world that she'd barely managed to survive. "I'll trust your judgment on this love; I only hope it is right."

Thomas smiled at his wife. "Well, times are hard. Desperate times-"

"Desperate measures." Meaghan finished the well known phrase with a smile.


	5. Growing Up

**Growing Up**

Disclaimer: Aside from Thomas, Meagan and Phirrip... I don't own much in this fiction right now.

Thomas stood by the doorway and surveyed the farm. His house was on the very furthest edge of the village, the closest one to the Labyrinth. He did well for a farmer, especially for one who lived so close to the Labyrinth. He personally felt attached to it, after all, his own parents had been wishers, for those who made the wish the Labyrinth was the closest to home they could get. Nonetheless, they'd done well.

Thomas was what you could call a middle class farmer; he did better than most, but not nearly as well as others. It was enough to get his small family by though. Speaking of which where had Sam gotten to. The child was absolutely sweet and obedient, most of the time.

It was an interesting situation that the farmer found himself in. Raising a daughter as a son is a difficult matter. Making her understand that she was different from the other children, and that, no, there was nothing necessarily wrong with you. It was just that times are hard and one must make due. After all, desperate times call for desperate measures.

'Sam' sat on the top of nice green hill, day dreaming about dragons and mountains and vast treasures and princes and princesses. Sam looked out across the rolling green to the ridge hill and the Labyrinth, the greatest construct in the whole world. Sam's father, Thomas told him that it was alive, Sam didn't know if this was true, but he knew enough to listen well and take everything in. Everything his parents told him was true in a way, or so they said, and any question that went unanswered would be answered later.

'Sam' was a small boy, by a boys standard, thin and lanky with delicate, pretty feminine features. Many of the boys in the village called him girly and no matter how often his father told him not to mind it, Sam did. The fact that his mother blatantly refused to cut his hair only made matters worse. Sam also liked to dream, even when he was awake and right now the one about the dragon of the Aggorian Mountains was just fine.

He looked out into the distance as the wind ruffled his long hair. Though the greatest structure in the underground lay stretched out before him like some giant coiling snake, he paid it no heed. The Labyrinth would always be there, just as it always had been. It was the oldest thing in the Underground, some said. They also said it would outlast man and fae, beast and monster and that when the world was over there the Erlking would sit on his throne. The king of oblivion and ruler of nothingness.

Sam slowly dragged his thoughts from the great high-flying to himself. It was his day of birth. His tenth one, he was officially ten. Ten years of being slightly more different from every other boy in the whole village. That meant his parents were going to tell him another secret, another reason for all of their ridiculous rules.

Last year's secret was that the Erlking might come for him and take him into the Labyrinth so that Sam might serve him. Sam had alternately had the most amazing dreams and nightmares over the weeks following. Though that was all they told him, how it applied to his personal situation and extra schooling, Sam hadn't the slightest clue. From what he understood, his birth and future were very much tied to the Labyrinth, though how and why were still beyond.

Sam's attention once again turned to the panoramic view before him. All those green rolling hills, he remembered just last year when he'd nearly lost two sheep due to day dreaming. Sam grimaced, he'd been thoroughly scolded for that, sheep were of high value. The world was too dangerous for day dreamers or anyone who didn't pay too close attention to their surroundings.

In this particular area of the Underground magical beasts and creatures were common. Lesser ladon wandered or rather slithered in the hills along with manticores and chimeras were far too common for comfort. Occasionally Centaur herds came through, but thankfully, their fearful hate of the Labyrinth and the Erlking made them keep a good distance. There was even talk of Hydras in the wetlands, thank Dannan there weren't any too close to the village. The village had seasonal plunders by either faeries or nomadic bandits. Then there was the Labyrinth, the giant maze-thing that nothing normal seemed to be able to live near, much less in. From his hill, Sam could just see the top of the walls of the Labyrinth and in the distant haze, the turrets of the Erlking's castle. The village and the surrounding area were considered quite safe, for the underground standards.

Today was different though, Sam was lucky enough to celebrate his day of birth on a day of feasting. That meant that he wasn't the only one excluded from work. His friends were also free from the usual chores, the people who weren't his friends were also work-free, but they didn't come up here. The only person who he didn't like who did come up here was…

"Oy, Sam! What're ya' do'n up 'ere?"

…Phirrip.

"Ach, Sam, it's good ta' see ya'! An' look, what a fine, fine day! Enjoy'n th' view?"

From the moment Sam had first met him he didn't like him. His mother had told him that the dislike would fade, but even after three years Sam still didn't like Phirrip. When his mother had asked him what about Phirrip he didn't like Sam simply couldn't explain it; it was one of those things that just couldn't be explained. It was an inexplicable thing, one of the mysteries of the world. Then again there was something about his eyes.

Sam turned and fixed Phirrip with the look. It was a solemn, cool look. It was a look that gave nothing away. There was no fear in it, no kindness, nothing. It was just a look, and it freaked the hell out of Phirrip. He knew it did, Phirrip got a funny look in his eyes when he was edgy about something and nothing made Phirrip get that look in his eyes than the cool, cold stare.

"I was jus' com'n ta' tell ya' tha' yer friends are lookin' for ya'. Get on wi'em!" Phirrip smiled genially at Sam. Sam said nothing. Instead he stood and left. Phirrip watched smiling.

As soon as Sam was over the hill, Phirrip's smile vanished. The boy had learned early on that silence unnerved him and got quieter than Jareth would when properly pissed and it took quiet a bit of effort to get the Erlking properly pissed, few lived to tell though. It seemed to Phirrip that all it took for Sam to get properly pissed was to have Phirrip within silence range.

Phirrip watched as Sam picked up speed down the hill. "That boy might as well be the son of the Erlking." He muttered. He continued to watch Sam leave and cocked his head to the side. There was something funny about that boy. Sam seemed a might too… female. Phirrip turned and looked out over the hill. Eh, it was probably just his imagination. He had to get down to business. The harvest had been down the past decades, they wanted answers, and answers meant results.

Meanwhile, in a rather dingy and depressing looking part of the castle at the centre of the Labyrinth, Jareth sat, scanning through old texts for some clue to that bloody girl child who'd appeared before him in a vision nine… or was it ten… no, nine… nine years ago.

Jareth promptly finished reading the last page of the book, flipped it closed and tossed it over his shoulder into the immense pile that was steadily growing behind him. Then he sat back and glared at the boundless mess of books that lay before him in the vast, be-shelved room. He'd been looking for anything on anything to do with her for nine years and he hadn't found sock… he closed his eyes… shit, he hadn't found shit, not sock, shit, only Goblins said sock.

He leaned forwards and put his head in his hands. Why they used the name of their favorite food as a curse he had no knowledge, on the other hand they also said things like 'praise sock' and 'damn you to clean'… Good Goddess he needed to get away from them, he was starting to pick apart their terminology. A long walk in his private gardens would do the trick… a week in his private gardens and he'd be his own self again.


End file.
